Two Tall Travellers

Your Ultimate Guide To Backpacking Cambodia

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﻿Cambodia is an incredible country. From perfect beaches to thick jungles, to ancient monuments, this pretty country has it all. If you’re planning on backpacking Cambodia, you don’t want to miss out on the best parts because you didn’t plan properly!

Some people are sure they want to visit Angkor Wat but then are left with no time at all to explore the islands. Others might just come over to get a great tan, but forget that the country is rich with history and culture not to be missed. There are plenty of things to do, whether you’re travelling solo or bringing the whole family along

Splurge if you want, but if you’re backpacking Cambodia then you really can travel on a budget – your money will go far here if you plan properly!

Travelling within Asia can be daunting, especially if you’re coming from a western country! There is such a variety of cultures, languages, visa regulations and even currencies that you come across. If you’ve travelled south-east Asia at all then you’ll be a little accustomed to the differences, but Cambodia truly is its own gem.

So, we’ve put together this comprehensive guide to help you backpack Cambodia so that you can visit fully prepared! Make a cup of tea and settle down to discover what the country is all about and why people love to travel Cambodia so much!

Your Backpacking Cambodia Budget

You have probably heard that you can visit Cambodia, backpacking your way round the country and stick to a budget. For once, I can tell you that everything you read on the internet is true! You can get a full meal for $3, a hotel dorm for $2 and a beer for less than $1.

Cambodia is so backpacker friendly that you could spend double or even triple the amount of time here compared to some countries in Europe, for example, for the same amount of money.

Visas

It’s surprisingly easy to get a visa for Cambodia for most nationalities. If you have a European, American, or Australian passport, you shouldn’t have any problems. Some Southeast Asian countries don’t need a visa to enter the country but check with the website first.

It costs $30 (you can only pay in U.S. dollars). You can get it online, but you’ll pay a $7 processing charge. If you’d prefer to get the visa in person, you’ll just have to queue up to get one on arrival.

We entered Cambodia by buswhere there were certain checkpoints everyone had to go through anyway so we just waited until we got there to get our visa.

As with most countries, Cambodia asks you to have at least 6 months left on your passport. The visa only lasts 30 days but it’s valid for 3 months from when you buy it.

Vaccinations

Backpacking in Cambodia is a lot of fun but there are some things you have to think about before you go. Vaccinations are always horrible but you really should get them done. It’s advised that you speak to your GP or nurse 2 months before you travel. They can give you more information about the exact jabs you might need.

Generally, though, for travelling Cambodia you’ll need to be vaccinated against hepatitis A, tetanus and typhoid.

Usually, if you’re only travelling short-term, and you avoid rural areas you should manage to stay clear of the diseases. But, better to be safe than sorry!

Cambodia is also home to many mosquitoes so even if you don’t normally react to their bite (the red bumps people get aren’t a direct bite mark, they’re a reaction from your skin) protect yourself with some good spray.

*We are not doctors so don’t take this as medical advice! We are only stating the information we have from our experience. Go and see a doctor if you are concerned about anything!*

What to Pack for Backpacking Cambodia

Are you a pack-your-whole-wardrobe kind of traveller, or a live-out-of-hand-luggage type? Either way, you’ll need to think about the climate when you’re travelling Cambodia. Remember the little accessories that make all the difference when travelling around too!

The most important thing to own before backpacking Cambodia is luggage. Get yourself a sturdy backpack if you’re going to be moving around a lot, and consider one that comes with a water pouchtoo!

Don’t forget a good first aid kit – yes, you could visit a pharmacy if you needed to but who wants to leave their room and buy medicine when chronic diarrhoea hits!?

Bring a small, hand-held fan too. It will keep you cool when you’re waiting in line for your street food, or wandering around clothes markets. Even if it rains when you’re travelling Cambodia, it’s warm and humid. A quick blast of moving air will feel like heaven.

Another must-have item is a shawl/sarong. In Cambodia, it’s hugely offensive to show your shoulders and above the knees, especially in and around the temples. Many touristy areas will seem OK with it to cater to western customers. But remember it’s better to comply with local culture and cover up!

Pro Tips

Avoiding An Upset Stomach

Travelling to a new country can mean that falling ill is inevitable. New foods, new air, new bacteria – it can play havoc with your internal system! Take some activated charcoal pills for if and when the sickness hits. They’ll clean up your system and absorb all of the bad stuff.

Getting There

There are different options for your transport into Cambodia – obviously, the best way depends on where you are coming from! Check out this site for some fantastic tips on travelling across the whole of Asia too.

Plane

If you’re coming from anywhere other than a neighbouring country, then you’ll almost certainly want to fly. Use Skyscannerto get the best deals. We wouldn’t recommend flying with Air Asia for long flights. Our most recent one with this airline was only four hours and we regretted it the whole way!

Train

Recently, Cambodia has revived its train lines, which is great news if you’re planning on backpacking Cambodia.

The main line runs from Phnom Penh to Sihanoukville, stopping at Takeo and Kampot on the way. The full journey only costs $7 which is incredibly cheap since it takes 7 hours.

Buy your tickets from Baolau or plan ahead and go to the station a few days before to pick up your tickets – as it’s a new service, everyone is trying it out and they do sell out!

Bus

The long-haul buses throughout Southeast Asia can actually be pretty decent. Companies like Giant Ibis are really professional.

They give you an e-ticket which you can either print off beforehand or just download to your phone. They provide snacks and water, and some of their buses even have plug sockets and Wi-Fi. You have to get out of the bus at the border crossing, get your passport stamped and it’s as easy as that.

They’re incredibly cheap and easy to use when travelling Cambodia from somewhere like Vietnam or Thailand.

The Best Backpacking Cambodia Route

Cambodia is a great country for backpacking – the transport is easy to use and the cities are so diverse. Siem Reap is a great starting point whether you’re flying or arriving by bus, and then you can make your way down to the coast, finishing off in the islands. The best Cambodia backpacking route includes at least 8 destinations but if you’re limited on time then pick less places and spend more time there. It’s better to do that than to waste time in transit.

Getting Around

Tuk-tuks are popular in most Asian countries, and Cambodia is no exception. They usually don’t go fast enough to be dangerous, so jump in and get to your next destination quickly.

Expect to pay between $1 and $1.50 for a short journey, but don’t be afraid to haggle if you think you’re being ripped off! At the same time, don’t be that person who’d rather walk 30 minutes than pay another 50 cents. We’re all on a budget but there can be exceptions!

You could also hire a motorbike, but we wouldn’t really recommend it in the cities. Being thrown off a scooter because you’ve had to swerve to avoid a crazy driver, and spending time in a local hospital isn’t the way to spend your time travelling Cambodia.

Pro Tips

Riding a Bike Without Insurance

If you do ride a scooter, the chances are that you aren’tcovered on your insurance. If you don’t have a motorbike licence in your home country and you haven’t cleared it with your travel insurance company, then it’s highly likely that they won’t pay out if you do have an accident. Just make sure that you know the risks when hiring a bike.

Where to Stay

Cambodia is basically a backpacker’s heaven on earth. There are literally thousands of cheap, cheap hostels dotted around the whole country. It makes it so easy to visit Cambodia on a budget because your accommodation prices are so low.

Places To Visit When Backpacking Cambodia

When people hear ‘Cambodia’, usually the biggest religious complex of Angkor Wat springs to mind. However, there are plenty more places to see!

Siem Reap

You already know that you can’t come to Cambodia without visiting Angkor Wat, and Siem Reap is where you’ll find it. You don’t even need that much time to see the interesting parts. Do it in one day and explore the rest of the city as well. Even if you’retravelling with kids, you can still explore the amazing temples!

Sihanoukville

A touristy beach town, Sihanoukville is on the south coast of the country. Come here if you’re into parties, or as a stop off on your way to one of Cambodia’s gorgeous islands. There are plenty of backpacker hostelsand bars to spend your evenings in, but don’t expect a great night’s sleep if you’re staying in the town! Sihanoukville is a pleasant enough place to spend a day relaxing and checking out the local culture.

Koh Ta Kiev

A tiny island off the coast of Sihanoukville, Koh Ta Kiev is a gorgeous hidden gem. There’s limited electricity and no Wi-Fi, but you’ll soon forget the comforts of home when you spend the morning snorkelling in gorgeous waters, the afternoon at a local fishing village eating freshly caught crab for lunch, the evenings drinking the local absinthe and making new friends and the night-time in a cute treehouse.

What To Do In Cambodia

Visit Angkor Wat

There are plenty of temples in southeast Asia, but if you’re only going to visit one, it should be Angkor Wat. Make sure you cover up your shoulders and knees and consider taking a tour or hiring a driver to take you around the huge complex.

Visit the night markets in Siem Reap

Pick up a few cute souvenirs and some beach-y clothes here. Haggle if you want – vendors here are used to overcharging tourists so test your skills and see if you can grab a bargain!

Party in Sihanoukville

If you want to party in Cambodia, head straight to Sihanoukville. You’ll find awesome happy hour deals and beach bars throughout the whole town, and you probably won’t get much sleep. Pick a cute dorm, make some friends and have a boogie!

Go diving in Sihanoukville

Explore the islands like Koh Rong Samloem and Koh Ta Kiev

If you’re looking to kick back and switch off, spend 3 or 4 days in Koh Ta Kiev. Snorkel the clear waters, explore the island and eat fresh crab from the local fishing village! You can also visit Koh Rong Samloem if you don’t want to go too off the grid, or Koh Rong if you want to party!

Go to the Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh

Cambodia has a terribly sad history that people don’t like talking about. However, there are plenty of museums and memorials for you to visit and learn about the past and pay your respects.

Spend time with elephants at an ethical sanctuary with no riding!

Elephants are often treated badly in many southeast Asian countries, so it’s refreshing to see these new sanctuaries popping up here and there. The Elephant Valley Project aims to look after the elephants who were overworked and injured. They also educate the local people to enable them to find jobs without using the elephants.

Tour the Kampot pepper farms

Kampot is famous for its pepper, so take a trip and taste the local peppercorns!

What to Eat

Food is always something that can attract you to a country! Cambodian food is incredibly tasty and amazingly cheap. Buy meals from the local stalls, wander around the markets and discover new foods or even take a cooking class and learn how to make authentic Cambodian dishes from scratch!

Be sure to grab a plate of Bai Sach Chrouk in the mornings – it may seem odd eating a plate of soft barbecued pork and rice first thing, but trust us, it’s so good you’ll forget what time it is! Another must-try dish is the amok – a gorgeous curry steamed in banana leaves!

The cuisine is similar to Thai, with creamy coconut curries, but there’s also plenty of Western food to binge on if you’re craving chips!

On the small islands, however, you might find that the meals don’t necessarily represent Asian cooking as you’d expect, and could be a lot more expensive. They often have to do a boat run every day for supplies, which inevitably puts the prices up.

Currency

Weirdly enough, Cambodia uses two currencies. Their local one is the riel and 1 GBP/5203 KHR/$1.28. However, everyone seems to prefer to use U.S dollars.

Lots of restaurants, bars and hotels will give prices in dollars, but you can usually pay in riel if you need to. You’ll end up paying less using the local currency but it’s easier to change some money into dollars too just in case. You’ll also get your change in riel regardless of if you paid in dollars or not!

Language

Cambodia’s main language is Khmer. However, you are likely to be able to find lots of people who speak very good English. Not only are there many tourists travelling Cambodia, but the locals are becoming wise to the fact that they’ll get more business if they can communicate with the foreigners!

It’s always polite to learn a little of the local language before you go, though. Download or buy a phrasebook to practise with on the journey to Cambodia.

Try your best to learn some key words and sentences! People will appreciate it and you’ll leave your comfort zone, which is a great confidence booster for when you’re travelling.

Safety in Cambodia

Visiting a new country means that you have to be more aware of your surroundings and the new rules. Here are a few points to consider:

Police Scams

Unfortunately, there are some issues with corrupt police in Cambodia. They can target foreigners by claiming that they need to hand over their passports or pay money to not have them confiscated. If you’re worried that someone is trying to scam you like this, go to your embassy where they can help distinguish between the real thing and a fake.

Visa Scams on The Bus

If you enter Cambodia by bus, you will need to get off at the border crossing and get stamped into the country. You’ll pay your $30 – but don’t pay anyone else an extra fee on the bus for anything. Choose a bus company like Giant Ibis to be sure.

Drink Spiking

In a party town like Sihanoukville, be aware that there will be lots of people drunk and high. Enjoy a drink but keep an eye on it at all times because there are plenty of stories where people are being spiked and then blamed for being too drunk.

Scams to Be Aware Of

The most important thing to do before you travel anywhere is to buy travel insurance. You never know what might happen! Although most people in Cambodia are friendly and willing to help you, there will always be someone who wants to rip you off or even steal from you in any country!

Be aware of pickpocketers – wear a money belt. Don’t flaunt your cash either. The amount of times I have seen foreigners open up their wallets in a restaurant with their whole holiday fund in freshly printed notes is just stupid!

Take out what you need for the day. It will help you stick to a budget, plus if you do lose any cash or are targeted by a thief, your holiday won’t be ruined.

Don’t give over your passport to anybody, even the police – carry a copy around with you and tell them you’ll meet them at the embassy with your real one. If they’re fakers then you won’t see them again.

Although it might be heartbreaking – please don’t give money to children begging in the street. Those children should be in school, and paying them just gives the adults who are responsible for them more incentive to keep them on the streets.

Children are often taken from their families and put in orphanages just so they can make money from unknowing tourists.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is backpacking Cambodia alone safe?

Just like in any country, there are risks if you walk down a dark alley or stay in a local’s house on your own! Make informed decisions about where you go and who you go with and you should be fine. Keep your possessions in a locked safe in your room, and only take out what money you need for the day.

Is it easy to find vegetarian food in Cambodia?

Cambodian food is typically easy to adapt to vegetarian requirements. Just ask for tofu or extra veggies like you normally would in a restaurant, and learn (or write down) a few key phrases to explain that you don’t want fish sauce or eggs, for example. There are plenty of street food options that are fully vegan too – check out this guide to vegan street food in Cambodia!

How long should I spend in Cambodia?

If you want to enjoy a decent Cambodia itinerary, 2 weeks is enough time to travel across the country and explore the ancient ruins, tropical jungles and pristine beaches. If you have longer than that, you can spend at least 3 or 4 days in each town/city suggested here. A week is probably the shortest amount of time I’d suggest visiting Cambodia in, and it would be a better idea to stick to one area so you don’t lose time travelling.

How much money do I need per day in Cambodia?

It’s easy to live cheaply in Cambodia, so you could spend $10 – $15 per day and still enjoy yourself. Obviously, if you want to join tours and explore the country a bit more thoroughly, then increase your budget but it would be hard to spend $40 a day for 2 weeks here!

What is the best currency to use in Cambodia?

The riel and the US dollar are both used in Cambodia, but the dollar is actually more common. Take mostly dollars but a few hundred thousand riel too just in case.

Do I need a visa to visit Cambodia?

Yes. You can usually get an e-visa (depending on your nationality) for $30 but getting a visa on arrival is also an option.

Is Cambodian food spicy?

Dishes like the famous Khmer amok and red curry tend to be mild due to the creamy coconut flavours. You can find spicy food, especially around Kampot where they use their famous peppercorns!

What is a ‘happy pizza’?

If you’re not into drugs, don’t order one! A happy pizza is one sprinkled with marijuana. There are plenty of pizza restaurants openly selling them, but I personally don’t recommend doing it!

This guide couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ll be in Cambodia in less than two weeks. It’s my second visit but I needed an update on visa situation etc and a reminder about the scams! Can’t wait to go back, especially to Kampot which I loved the first time around!

Cambodia has been on my bucketlist for AGES! I’m really hoping I can visit it sometime next year. I’ve always associated it with Siem Reap, but it’s nice to know that there are plenty more options to visit. Koh Ta Kiev and Sihanoukville sounds like a great place to check out too! 🙂

That dish you mentioned..the amok…sounds really delicious. Curry steamed in banana leaves should be just the kind of thing I will try. If the local food is similar to Thai cuisine, I would spend all my free time experimenting with food.

A really helpful comprehensive post about visiting Cambodia, really appreciate all the practical advice from visas to vaccinations, from transport to scams to be aware of. And of course, what to visit!

This is a very informative and thorough guide for someone travelling to Cambodia. You have really mentioned the most important things and suggestions. Great! Being living in India, i can understand about what all difficulties can come in the asian countries.

I just got back from Cambodia and definitely recommend seeing Angkor Wat and hiring a tuk tuk to do a tour. You can pick lg or small tour. I did small and my driver charged $18 + $5 for morning sunrise at Angkor which was beautiful. We went down to sihanoukville for a week and were shocked at the filthy beaches. Otres beach was highly recommended. While the water is beautiful there is not much beach area to enjoy and you were constantly hassled by sellers that were very pushy. Koh Rong Island was pretty but the tour we did was very disorganized and little to no English spoken. We stayed on Sokha beach at a resort which was very nice but out of the way from markets or stores and tuk tuks were pricey. We found Cambodia expensive, most places only wanted USD but would give you riel in change. Food was pricey even off the beaten path, they have English menus for tourists with higher prices than the local menu. We went into markets and food carts and tried getting food and they ignored us or just looked at us until we left. I didn’t find the Cambodian people very friendly outside of our hotels. Unless of course you had money to spend. Don’t get me wrong it is a beautiful country but there was so much poverty and garbage around that it really took away from the beauty of it. FYI- I had a US$20 with a small rip that had been given as change from a vendor and when I went to make a purchase not one person would take it as their banks charge them $3 for a ripped note. Just a heads up if you have any tattered money you won’t be able to spend it unless you add the $3 to the price of your purchase to cover it.

I think a lot of people forget that many places that travellers tend to go have a serious level of poverty behind the scenes. Thanks very much for all the tips you have provided! Have you written anything about it before?